Thanks guys for the compliments. They are much appreciated.

One of the pet peeves has been the wiring on production locomotives. Now I understand that it needs to be less complicated and be fast to install. With this plug-n-play wiring it's easy to just unplug instead of warming up the soldering iron to unsolder the wires and then solder them back on. I'm glad that it may give others some ideas.

I added the bars to the engine do to the fact that the trailing truck could get hung up on the wires or vis-versa. I won't need to add a bar to the tender since the wires come through the holes drilled into the floor. The hole is just large enough to fit two wires through.

As far as stopping into the Bowser store in PA, a date has not been set yet. I'll let the crew know when that will happen.

The tender will get some attention next. I've got an idea for doing something with that wide open foot board. Plus I need to figure out about running an oil line hose and a water hose between the engine and tender. Progress could be a little slow from here on in.

I'm getting anxious on starting a TT scale building for my diorama I started this past winter. Also planning on a rebuild of the TT scale lumber module I had started. After seeing Joey Ricards video on the new HO scale module, I'd like to build mine the same way.

That's about it for now.

Bernd

Bernd,

I admire your methodical and careful work. Your ideas for improved pickup and wire connections are very useful.

Mike

Bernd~,
I just found this thread and got so captivated I couldn't put it down. Then I got to the riveting page 18 and I felt like the people on the docks in New York harbor waiting for the titanic to arrive?

Did I miss something here? Did you ever finish this beast? No matter I guess, I did enjoy reading each chapter nonetheless. While doing so I remembered a Great Northern Vandy steamer (I usually don't do these) I did a while back and not sure if I ever posted it? I'll dig in the archives and see.

Great job on this ol' tyme steamer. My first steamers I cut my teeth on (as an teenager) was the Mantua/Tyco brass/cast metal kits 2-6-0 and 2-6-6-2 logging ohhhhh? I mean the ones that came in a big box with no paint just lots of poured cast metal and the windows that had solid flashing all the way closed filing & filing that took.................. me all the way through high school.
Thanx Thom...

Hi Thom,

The picture on page 17 post #250 the last picture of the engine is the condition that it's still in. My main purpose was to present wheel wiper pick ups. I also posted this project on MRH. My purpose was to show how one can add all wheel pick up on an engine. I don't think many used the idea because it was just to much work. I just finish writing an article for MRH on adding wheel wipers to Life Like Proto 2000 SD9 because modelers where having problems with their DCC engines. The problem is bigger than current pick-up. It's the design of the truck. I still have one more item to do on the article before I release it to Joe F. to see if he'll publish it. He was really enthused with my idea. It probably won't be out until the end of this year or early next year.

I went through the 18 pages and found some missing pictures plus one whole page with nothing but four or five dots on it. I'm going to have to post it to my web site sometime. I'll give you the link to MRH once they get there new forum up an running next week.

BTW, thanks for the compliments.

Bernd

B~,
You're welcome brother. I agree, Dcc (even with Cap-paks) is a hungry animal for current and anything we can do for electrical pickups is always welcome! I read in MR (the paper version) back in the late 70's using the kadee coupler pocket springs for wheel pickups is a really good way to give pickup and still not rub off the plating and allow wheels to move properly.

I've been using ever since on all models (steam, diesel etc.) N-scale to O-scale. Here's a quick video I made a little while back for a customer to help him. It's the same for all scales. Hope this gives you some ideas. How to Maintain your engine test video. No sound! - YouTube

Thanx Thom...

I like the use of plastic to pick up a finished engine or any kind of rolling stock. You won't leave any body oil on the equipment.

Bernd

Nice logger Bernd!

Thanks Philip. It still needs detail parts added and a paint job. One of these days.

Bernd